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Clinical Course: ORTHO657 Clinical Course/Rotation Syllabus

Course Director:

• Izu Ibe, MD, Program Director
  Main Campus – Medical Tower
  601-984-5144, iibe@umc.edu

Course Coordinator:

• Nathan Bean
  Medical Residency Program Coordinator
  Main Campus – Medical Tower
  601-815-1637, rbean@umc.edu

Description of Clerkship:

This is a 4-week rotation in orthopaedic surgery, where fourth-year medical students will gain experience in outpatient and surgical aspects of orthopaedics as a specialty.

In this rotation, it is hoped that students will gain experience in the total care of the orthopaedic patient, children and adults. Preoperative care, as well as experience in the operating room, will also receive emphasis.

Schedule

**Schedule is subject to change**

The student is assigned to four orthopaedic subspecialties and will work with the staff orthopaedic surgeons and their residents for a period of one week each, thus having the opportunity to participate in the treatment of a variety of orthopaedic conditions. The student will work with and assist the residents under the supervision of attending staff. The student sees patients in the clinics, assesses patients admitted to the Emergency Room, makes rounds with the staff orthopaedic surgeon and the residents, scrubs in on the surgical cases, takes in-house call and assists in the reduction of fractures and the application of casts. He/she also attends the weekly didactic teaching conferences of the department and of the subspecialty. The student will also attend monthly Journal Clubs.

Course Objectives*:

1. The students will observe the diagnosis and treatment of patients with a wide variety of orthopaedic problems.
2. The students will gain knowledge in anatomy and fracture management principles and outcomes.
3. The students will integrate medical and surgical knowledge in the care of trauma victims and musculoskeletal injuries in the hospital and outpatient clinics.
4. The students will evaluate patients with musculoskeletal complaints and perform basic splinting of fractures.
5. The students will apply knowledge of musculoskeletal anatomy to patient complaints in diagnosis of orthopaedic conditions.
6. The students will perform basic orthopaedic procedures such as wound closure, joint injection/aspiration, and casting.
7. The students will participate aggressively in the emergent, preoperative, and postoperative hospital setting, as well as outpatient diagnostic and therapeutic care of the orthopaedic patients.
8. The students must demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and teaming with Residents and Staff.
9. The students will demonstrate compassion, integrity, and respect for others. He/she must demonstrate responsiveness to patient needs that supersedes self-interest.

Core Competencies

Patient Care

Students must be able to provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health.

Corresponding Course Objective(s): 1; 3; 4; 5; 9

Medical Knowledge

Students must be able to demonstrate knowledge about established and evolving biomedical, clinical, and cognate (e.g. epidemiological and social-behavioral) sciences and the application of this knowledge to patient care.

Corresponding Course Objective(s): 3

Practice-Based Learning and Improvement

Students must be able to investigate and evaluate their patient care practices, appraise and assimilate scientific evidence, and improve their patient care practices.

Corresponding Course Objective(s): 2

Interpersonal and Communication Skills

Students must be able to demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in effective information exchange and teaming with patients, patients’ families, and professional associates.

Corresponding Course Objective(s): 8

Professionalism

Students must be able to demonstrate a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principles, and sensitivity to a diverse patient population. Corresponding Course Objective(s): 9

Systems-Based Practice

Students must be able to demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care and the ability to effectively call on system resources to provide care that is of optimal value.

Corresponding Course Objective(s): 3; 7; 8

Teaching Methods

The student will work with and assist the residents under the supervision of attending staff. A plan for patient care is developed together, teaching points reviewed. Students will discuss their findings, impressions and plans of action with the resident and attending who will provide constructive feedback and teaching.

Every encounter of a student with a patient (clinic or inpatient consult) is followed by a presentation of the case to the attending physician who will see the patient as well and perform a physical exam and confirm or acquire new information as needed, to have a supervised assessment and plan for every patient.

Assessment Methods

During the rotation, the student will be given regular feedback from the residents and attendings on their performance. The student is evaluated through a summative electronic evaluation. The student will be evaluated by the faculty on the six ACGME competencies using the SOM standard evaluation tool. The residents and/or faculty will meet with the student to discuss their experience and look for ways to improve the rotation for future students. The student is also asked to evaluate the course and the faculty at the end of the rotation.

Grade Calculation

Patient Care	16.6%
Medical Knowledge	16.6%
Practice-Based Learning	16.6%
Interpersonal & Communication Skills	16.6%
Professionalism	16.6%
System-Based Practice	16.6%
Total	100%

Educational Resources

1. Students are provided access to the orthopedic syllabi and handouts geared toward medical students. These resources are housed in both the resident lounge and the Howorth Library.
2. The university hospital library has copies of the most important journals in the field of orthopaedic surgery and a good number of them are available online as well.
3. Students will receive regular emails from the course coordinator regarding scheduled meetings and conferences, topics to be discussed, and relevant educational materials.

Last Updated: 08/07/25